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Thursday, June 19, 2014

Follow the Star: We Arrived!

Radio silence after day 2, so please excuse the lack of writing for the exchange of productivity. We've arrived!! I'm taking a pause in editing/ putting away clothes to write an update. Okay fine, not so noble. I also dropped a heavy object on my foot earlier while trying not to drop a heavier object on said foot, soooo yeah. Ouchie.

Anywho.

We've arrived!!! More jazz hands. The house has serious dust settleage and praise Jesus we've had family in town to help bring everything inside, help clean-clean-clean, help assembling the unassembled, and help enjoying the move. I drove with my SIL Ellen, who is just the bee's knees. She made this move 200 percent more fun for Grace and me. Will was a champion who drove the whole way solo, and my in-laws get serious props for pulling the trailer in their truck. Nothing broke!

The house is gorgeous, albeit still being wiped down. I am glad I bought two rugs before we moved (could not resist a Mother's Day sale), and it is really fantastic seeing how our furniture fits even better in this new location.

The best part is the space. So much space. Room to breathe.

We have lots of trees and even our own garden area and porch. Our retired neighbor cuts our lawn because it is cheaper than therapy, and refuses any compensation. The hospital traffic is not bad, and I hear more trains in the distance than ambulances.

There are still boxes everywhere - the trash collectors took a nice chunk today, but there are still more to empty and breakdown. My MIL and SIL leave tomorrow (sniff), and my mom arrives on Saturday!

I will include way more pictures as we update various rooms of the house. I am pretty thrilled to be moving from "just out of school" to "hey we're a family with style and taste! and stuff!" One day we might even get to refined living.

Let's see, let's see: more on Bethlehem. We live in the historic area and it is very pretty. Nice to walk around and look at all the former steel tycoon's homes, [too] hilly, green and lush, and close enough to the downtown region. We went to mass at Holy Ghost Church and it was gorgeous. The woodwork, the statues, the tabernacle -- the 19th century Germans really outdid themselves.

Bethlehem is very ethnic - enough Hispanics to have advertisements in Spanish, a sizeable Middle Eastern presence, and it's a college town, so younger folks all around. Bethlehem's culinary scene is delicious and I've yet to be let down.

The daycare attached to St. Luke's is totally full, and apparently there are two sets of twins ahead of Grace. I'm trying to get creative, and am soo glad I have time before classes start in September. The pediatric rehab office is not getting back to me (nor did they send the papers we talked about weeks ago), which is frustrating, and I'll have to drive there tomorrow to get forms for Grace. I am in a rush because we are leaving next week for Cincinnati, and won't be back until August. Fortunately, Miss Lisa taught us well enough that I feel like she can go a month or so without formal therapy.

Oh my! And that is what is happening with the Baldwins! Will is studying for his ACLS test (advanced cardiovascular life support) for next week and picks up his white coat tomorrow and I start answering a lot of e-mails. Maybe writing too. And bathing Grace outside again, because we can.